ALEC STEWART admits it was the prospect of another tough winter schedule that persuaded him to retire from Test cricket.

ALEC STEWART admits it was the prospect of another tough winter schedule that persuaded him to retire from Test cricket.

England's 40-year-old wicket-keeper-batsman made the announcement on the eve of the on-going first Test against South Africa at Edgbaston that he will leave the international arena at the end of this summer.

Yesterday he explained his decision, conceding that scheduled autumn tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as the West Indies next spring played a part in his thinking.

"With a long winter coming up I felt it would be one tour too many, and therefore I will call it a day (in September's fifth Test) at The Oval or if not beforehand," he told Channel 4.

"I hope I have chosen the right time to go. I am sure I will miss it - but at the same time I will look back and say I have enjoyed my career," added the Surrey stalwart, who has missed only one winter of cricket during a 22-year professional career.

Stewart is confident he is leaving at a time when England have a wealth of potential replacements to do his job behind and in front of the stumps.

Chris Read proved to many in the recent NatWest Challenge and Series one-day competitions that he is ready to make the position his own in both forms of the game.

Stewart, for one, appears convinced the Nottinghamshire wicket-keeper is ahead of the rest of a field of perhaps as many as half a dozen candidates currently playing county cricket.

"Purely as a wicket-keeper I think Chris Read is very much the favourite. He did a very good job in the one-dayers," said Stewart.

"Even so, I am sure the others will be competing and pushing for a chance too."

As for his own future in the game, Stewart confirmed he still intends to play for his county next summer.